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huismus's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
lesserjoke's review against another edition
3.0
The first Animorphs release outside of the main series is this 'Megamorphs' title, which is supersized both in literal page count and in including all six potential narrators, rather than just one. (Even Ax the resident alien gets a voice, right before anchoring his own full novel next.) There are probably a greater number of different animal morphs than usual too, although I haven't exactly been counting along that dimension.
Theoretically this should also be a bigger and wilder adventure than the typical team missions, but it's here that the story falters for me. The threat of a tornado-like creature that can hunt down and capture anyone who uses the morphing technology never quite justifies the blockbuster treatment, and a subplot involving a temporarily amnesiac Rachel is as eye-rollingly trite and conveniently resolved as it sounds. Subsequent companion books would embrace the weirder possibilities of this franchise to explore extraterrestrial worlds, time travel, and beyond, but this initial experiment plays out as a somewhat unremarkable side event instead.
It's not all bad per se, and in fact, we get some action sequences like Marco jumping off a Yeerk ship and having to quickly make his way from a gorilla into a more suitable form while plummeting towards the ground that are downright thrilling. But nothing in this volume seems to matter for the ongoing narrative -- I wouldn't be surprised if many readers inadvertently miss it between #7 and #8 -- and the territory it stakes out feels grander than what author K. A. Applegate ultimately does within that space.
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
Theoretically this should also be a bigger and wilder adventure than the typical team missions, but it's here that the story falters for me. The threat of a tornado-like creature that can hunt down and capture anyone who uses the morphing technology never quite justifies the blockbuster treatment, and a subplot involving a temporarily amnesiac Rachel is as eye-rollingly trite and conveniently resolved as it sounds. Subsequent companion books would embrace the weirder possibilities of this franchise to explore extraterrestrial worlds, time travel, and beyond, but this initial experiment plays out as a somewhat unremarkable side event instead.
It's not all bad per se, and in fact, we get some action sequences like Marco jumping off a Yeerk ship and having to quickly make his way from a gorilla into a more suitable form while plummeting towards the ground that are downright thrilling. But nothing in this volume seems to matter for the ongoing narrative -- I wouldn't be surprised if many readers inadvertently miss it between #7 and #8 -- and the territory it stakes out feels grander than what author K. A. Applegate ultimately does within that space.
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
amy_bda's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
da_thirst's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
bookseller's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
buriedinsatin's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
dbg_was_here's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
giannidamaia's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Is it overlong? Yes. Does the beginning drag as it attempts to give a glimpse of what a ‘regular day’ for our recurring cast would look like? Definitely. But The Andalite’s Gift is surprisingly cinematic as it hops between perspectives in unique succession. Structurally, it is far in a way Appelgate’s most successful entry thus far as it careens through moments at exactly the right pace, never lingering on plans or downtime for a moment longer than it has to. The set pieces are exciting! The contrived new villain element feels like another major misfire that demonstrates yet again just how poorly the characterization for the antagonists has come across. But overall, this remains a consistent series to this point in giving its target audience exactly the level of intensity and entertainment it wants.
rosered_reading's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0